The Legal Rights of Nature

INDIA

The highly polluted Ganges and Yamuna rivers were given the same status as a human being on March 20. This means legal guardians can now represent the waterways in court over any violation.

NEW ZEALAND

A river in the country’s North Island became a legal person on March 15. A local Maori tribe has fought for nearly 150 years for the Whanganui River to be recognized as an ancestor.

ECUADOR

In 2008 the South American country set a legal precedent by giving nature rights like those of humans in its constitution. This means entire ecosystems have the “right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate.”